Browns hire Rob Chudzinski as head coach

Carolina Panthers offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski directs wide receivers during an NFL football practice in Charlotte, N.C., Thursday, June 7, 2012. He didn't get a head coaching job in the off season and is back with Carolina. Now the question is what new plays Chudzinski has up his sleeve this year with an entire offseason - and no NFL lockout - to work with players. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)

Rob Chudzinski is the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns and will be introduced at a news conference this morning, the team announced late Thursday night.

Chudzinski, the offensive coordinator of the Carolina Panthers the past two years, is one of eight candidates interviewed by team owner Jimmy Haslam and CEO Joe Banner since firing Pat Shurmur on New Year's Eve, one day after the Browns finished 5-11.

Haslam said the most important quality he wants in his head coach is strong leadership.

Chudzinski, 44, has never been a head coach, but during his time as an assistant coach in college and the NFL from 1994-2012, he has proven he can be successful with young quarterbacks, most notably Derek Anderson with the Browns in 2007 and Cam Newton in Carolina the past two years. His newest challenge will be to develop Browns second-year quarterback Brandon Weeden or find a new starter.

The Browns also interviewed three college coaches -- Chip Kelly from Oregon, Bill O'Brien from Penn State and Doug Marrone from Syracuse. Kelly and O'Brien remained with their college teams. Marrone was hired to coach the Buffalo Bills.

This is Chudzinski's third stint with the Browns. He was their tight ends coach in 2004 under Butch Davis and offensive coordinator in 2007 and 2008 under Romeo Crennel. The Browns scored 402 points and finished 10-6 in 2007. But the next year, they fell to 4-12 and failed to score an offensive touchdown in their final six games.

Last season, Newton became the first rookie in NFL history to pass for more than 4,000 yards (4051) and rush for 500 yards (706). Newton threw 21 touchdown passes and rushed for 14 touchdowns in 2011. Last season, he threw 19 TD passes and scored eight times.

Chudzinski has coached offense, but his background is in a defense that uses three linemen and four linebackers in the base defense. The Browns converted to a 4-3 defense in 2010 when Mike Holmgren was named team president. They spent the last two years fortifying the defense to make it a four-man line with three linebackers.

Two of Chudzinski's coaching stops were with the San Diego Chargers. He is expected to name formers Chargers head coach Norv Turner the Browns' offensive coordinator.

Chudzinski grew up a Browns fan in Toledo. As a youngster, he and his friends played football in the front yard and on Sundays would turn the family television around so they could see the screen through the picture window. Chudzinski said they pretended they were playing at Cleveland Municipal Stadium.

Chudzinski interviewed for head coaching vacancies in Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and St. Louis last year.